Hardin ISD middle school principal arrested on child porn charges in Liberty County

LIBERTY COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- Investigators in Liberty County want parents to talk with their children after a middle school principal was arrested.

Hardin Junior High School Principal Chad Barrett is facing felony possession/promotion of child pornography charges. He was arrested on Thursday.

That district, just north of the city of Liberty, has an enrollment of around 1,300 students.

The investigation began after a student and his mother made a report about a social media video allegedly sent to the student by the 56-year-old principal.

According to the Liberty County Sheriff's Office, the investigation started when a student and his mother came into the sheriff's office to file a report about a social media video that the student had received. The video was believed to have been sent by 56-year-old Barrett.

Investigators went to the school and talked to Barrett. They said he cooperated, and that during the investigation, they found pictures and videos on his personal cell phone containing child porn.

Now, the sheriff's office is asking that parents who have kids at Hardin Junior High to talk with their kids and make sure they have not received any inappropriate messages, videos, or photos from Barrett -- and if they have -- to please contact the sheriff's office at 936-336-4500.

Hardin ISD released a statement saying Barrett was removed from school grounds and placed on administrative leave.

The following is the full statement from the district:

"On November 13, 2024, the Hardin Independent School District was notified of allegations of inappropriate communication with a student by a district employee.

The District has been in direct contact with law enforcement and is assisting in an investigation. We are deeply troubled by this report and have zero tolerance for inappropriate behavior and expect all district employees to adhere to the highest standards of conduct. The employee has been removed from school grounds and placed on administrative leave.

Due to the seriousness of the allegations, and to respect the privacy of all persons involved, the District will not be providing any additional information about this matter. We respectfully ask everyone to refrain from speculation regarding the allegations as it may have the unintended consequence of interfering with the ongoing investigation.

The safety and well-being of our students are the District's utmost priority and we believe it is important that parents/staff are notified as soon as possible of this situation. The District will remain focused on providing a safe and supportive learning environment throughout this process."

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